The Power & Perils of Fame

In this thematic Collection, explore The Power & Perils of Fame through works that discuss the highs and lows of having a following. Featuring autobiographical accounts from those who have achieved celebrity status as well as fictional works, these titles examine the nature of fame, both historically and in contemporary settings, as they explore topics such as power, pressure, and privacy.

Taste

by Stanley Tucci

Publication year 2021

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Fame, Beauty, Memory, Love

Tags Food, European History, Arts & Culture

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Tender at the Bone

by Ruth Reichl

Publication year 1998

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Memory, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Race, Coming of Age, Food, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Fame

Tags Food, Relationships

Prominent chef, food writer, and editor Ruth Reichl’s 1998 memoir Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table incorporates recipes with narrative and commentary to create a portrait of Reichl’s coming of age. Reichl’s sometimes-chaotic childhood with a mother who had untreated bipolar disorder made her into an independent and rebellious young person determined to distance herself from her parents’ world. Her adolescence and young adulthood in New York; Montreal; Berkeley, California; and Ann... Read Tender at the Bone Summary

The Ambitious Guest

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Publication year 1835

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Fate, Death, Fame

Tags Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, American Literature

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1835 short story “The Ambitious Guest” was originally published in The New-England Magazine. Hawthorne based his story on the Willey family tragedy of August 1826. The Willeys owned a tavern and inn at Crawford Notch in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. That August, a severe rainstorm in the area led to a massive landslide. While the Willey House Inn and Tavern were left intact after the landslide, the family disappeared overnight and... Read The Ambitious Guest Summary

The Art Forger

by B A. Shapiro

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Perseverance, Gender Identity, Fame, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Historical Fiction

The Art Forger is the fourth book from author B. A. Shapiro. With a PhD in sociology, Shapiro is well known for combining meticulous research with character-driven storytelling. Her academic background shapes her fiction; in The Art Forger, Shapiro approaches art and crime as social and philosophical questions as well as plot devices. Her characters explore questions about why society values certain objects and what the art world’s obsession with reputation and provenance mean about... Read The Art Forger Summary

The Aspern Papers

by Henry James

Publication year 1888

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Gender Identity, The Past, Art, Beauty, Fame

Tags Classic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Realism, Italian Literature, American Literature, World History

The Aspern Papers by Henry James is a novella first published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1888. The unnamed protagonist and narrator is an editor and obsessive fan of fictional poet Jeffrey Aspern, who is no longer living. Having heard that a former romantic partner of Aspern’s, Juliana Bordereau, and her niece, Tita Bordereau (renamed Tina in later editions), are in possession a collection of papers related to the poet, the narrator rents rooms in... Read The Aspern Papers Summary

The Blazing World

by Margaret Cavendish

Publication year 1666

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Science & Technology, Perseverance, Femininity, Friendship, Nation, War, Fame, Order & Chaos, Equality

Tags Education, Education, British Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Gender & Feminism, European History, Military & War, Politics & Government, Science & Nature, Age of Enlightenment, Restoration

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The Butcher's Masquerade

by Matt Dinniman

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Friendship, Teamwork, Colonialism, Economics, Fame, Justice, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy

Originally self-published in 2022, Matt Dinniman’s The Butcher’s Masquerade is the fifth novel in the best-selling Dungeon Crawler Carl series, a prime example of the literary role-playing game (LitRPG) subgenre. The series began as a popular web serial on the platform Royal Road before its success led to a traditional print publishing deal with Ace Books. The story continues the journey of Carl and his talking cat, Princess Donut, as they descend through a deadly... Read The Butcher's Masquerade Summary

The Dunciad

by Alexander Pope

Publication year 1743

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Literature, Fame, Art

Tags Narrative Poem, Satirical Literature, British Literature, Georgian Era, Education, Education, World History, Humor, Classic Fiction

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The Ending Writes Itself

by Evelyn Clarke

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Marriage, Art, Fame, Literature

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

The Ending Writes Itself (2026) is a satirical locked-room mystery written by Evelyn Clarke, the pen name for the team of best-selling authors V. E. Schwab and Cat Clarke. The novel follows seven writers who are invited to legendary author Arthur Fletch’s remote Scottish island for a literary salon. Upon their arrival, they learn that Fletch is dead and that they have been gathered to compete for a life-changing prize: the chance to secretly ghostwrite... Read The Ending Writes Itself Summary

The Fortunes

by Peter Ho Davies

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, Perseverance, Race, Fame, Immigration, Family

Tags Race & Racism, Immigration & Refugeeism, Asian Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature

The Fortunes (2016) is a historical novel by British author Peter Ho Davies. Written in the form of four interconnected stories, it details the experiences of various groups of Chinese immigrants and their descendants in the United States. Three of the four stories are based on real, historical figures, and together the narratives form a vast, multi-generational portrait of Chinese American communities across time and in various regions of the US. The four stories take... Read The Fortunes Summary

The Fourteenth Goldfish

by Jennifer L. Holm

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Death, Science & Technology, Fame, Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Aging, The Past

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Humor

In 2014’s The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer L Holm, an aging scientist turns himself into a teenager who must re-enter middle school alongside his granddaughter while they plot to get him back into his lab to finish his brilliant work. A humorous science-fiction novel for middle-grade readers, The Fourteenth Goldfish is the first in a two-book series.   New York Times Bestselling author Holm has written nearly 60 books for young readers, including the May Amelia... Read The Fourteenth Goldfish Summary